Cotton harvester



Feb. 2, 1932. 5, E, BAlLOR 1,843,190

COTTON HARVESTER Filed July 12, 1950 IN VEN TOR 5/706 5. 501/0/ ATTORNEY I Patented Feb. 2, 1932 sILAsn BAILoRr, or DJZ'LTIQ. oKLAnoMA common nARvEsrnR: i

i Application fi1ed Ju1y 12 1930- Serial No 16K518 My. invention. relates to cotton harvesters and like machines adapted to engage bolls on-thelike on standing bushes and strip the bolls1from.'thebushes. v

Cottontharvestingapparatus ordinarily includes-n slottedguide in which a cotton b-u'sh -is-engaged: while the frame passesto S stripibolls from the bush, the stemsandleaves being crowded with the stalks and *tending ii i tobe dragged from the stalks with the bolls.

The principal objects of my invention I thereforey are to PlOVIClQfLCOttOn or like harvester adapted.to distribute and spread the stems while gathering the bolls, and col 1:; lect bolls ;comparativelyfree from leaves and sticksi, a I

In accomplishing these and other objects I of my invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of se -which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cotton harvester embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the harvester.

at, Fig; 3 is a fragmentary perspective and "partly sectional view of cotton stalk receiving portion of the harvester, including boll stripping fingers.

Fig. 1 is a detail perspective View of one $;..,of the stripping fingers.

' Referring in detail to the drawings:

1 designates generally a frame including sills or bars 2 having inclined portions 3 and downwardly ofl set front portions 1 upbent at their front ends and supporting a pan or U Jottom plate 5 conforming to the contour of the sills to provide a sloping seat 7 and front portion 8 having an upwardly curved front edge 9 and longitudinal edge portions 10 and 3 2-. 11 incut and curved respectively to form slots 12 and guide mouths 13 for purposes presently disclosed.

Fixed to a vertical rim 14 on the edges of the rear portion of the bottom plate are vertical legs 15 of an arch member 16 comprising a channel having flanges directed outwardly to receive bearings 17 fixed to the arch legs for front wheels 18 whereby the front end of the device is supported.

51%;; The upstanding edge flange extends around the rear portionmof.thexbottom plate-,anjd a, supplemental 4 frame 20 nvhich may be an:- chored to said flange by a' (plate: 21 ipivotall'ysupports a steering wheel bracket 22 having; a wheel 23for supporting'theirear end of the device, and operated by a rudder 224; for guidjng, -the ide'vice. Fixed ;to the inner; facsofthe arch legs arewverticali apronsi25 projecting:forwardly I in-spaced vrelation-with the edges lO'of-.the bottomaplate toproduce'the Sl0hS'.12,'2LI1da' from the edge portions 1121;0- form the guide mouths -13, and having; upwardly rea'rwardly: inclined vertical front edges; curved "outward 1y: tosi n'ovide guide; wings: 26- 'for guidingcotton-;bushesrintothe slotsswheir the device moves along, ro-ws of bushes as (presently .described: The :upperwends .of the wings are extended to: fornr ears 2-7 bearing a gainstthetransverserbody: of the arch- Exterior stiffening strips or flanges 28 fixed to the-loweredgeof the aprons by angles 29 reenforce forwardly projectingcurved v poiii-t-s; .30 ofthel aprons, and *extend, along the rear portion: of the bottom ;plate to; assist 7-3 iirsupporting; the arch. T Side plates 01*"1021122LPI011S'glfiXECl to the bottom plate" rim and braced by-bars 32hav=- ing;:bent ends fixedto the rim and-bottom plate fastening means such-a'sbolts 33,

have inbent front ends and inclined front'. end edges provided with": inwardly directed flanges 34 1 having lower ends" overlying'rthe inclined iseat formed by the portion 7' of Ethd bottom plate; to receive equally'spaced slotted' 513 hars35 havingweb portions-36 :fixed to the flangesfi lby bolts 37. The bars 35 thus form: pairs; 'of spaced zfingers- 38 and 39 projectinglaterallyin inclined: 'Iplanes -toward 'theyer-C tical-apgrons. V r The ends of; the ifingersi-arer substantially, aligned witlrtheedgeslO- of the bottom plate, to. proyide upward extensions of :the slots-12, and 1 permit 1; the aprons and -fingersto pass 1 bushes without ,en ga gin g ;the relatively rigid.

sta-lks' thereof: a r The fingers have bevel front lend edges-40 for facilitating y sliding; movement thereof.

over the stalks ofrooted bushes.

T heslottedbars are adaptedflto be 1ocated.1.

to form relatively equally spaced parallel substantially horizontal prongs having channels or recesses of substantial lateral. extent intowhich the stems or branches of cotton L using the d i the sets heads spaced inwardly from the slot edges 10, and the supporting supporting stems 'ters Patent is frame,

while the stalks are located bushes may pass ends of in and in effect movebetween the the teeth and the aprons. r

The fingers are preferably spaced sufliciently to retain the bolls of cotton containing the cotton fibre and for this purpose vare spaced approximately 7/ bars are spaced suffiapron to permit the hollto extend substantial distances from the stalks of bushes, whereby the leaves and stems may'pass freely without compression or crowding while the bolls are distributed among the several retalners formed by adjacent fingers. Each boll thereciently from the fore, will be separatelyengaged and when the 7 frame passesover the bushes, the bolls will all fall into the trough-like bottom and relativelysmall amounts of leaves and stems Wlll be dragged from the bushes byoperation of the device. a o What I claim anddesire to secure by Let- 1; AI cotton harvester a-bottom plate, a vertical apron spaced from said plate to admit stalks located in the path of the frame, and a series of relatively long'substantially parallel bars fixed to the frame and extending 3 horizontally toward said apron having points in a line inclined 're'arwardly and upwardly from thebottom plate and spacedfrom said apronto form a channel-for said stalks,-said bars acting to distribute stems of said st'alks laterally from the apron and strip bolls from said stems. 5: 7

2 A cotton harvester including a wheeled frame abottorn plate having'adownwardly I offset frontportion and an: npturned front '1 edge inci'it at one side to form a recess, yertical apron having an outwardly curved front edge portion spaced from said recessto form I a guidejfor stalks located'in the path ofthe framejand aseries-of relatively longsubstantiallya parallel bars fixed to the frame and extending toward said -apron having spaced points spaced from said apron for "distribut ingbranches of said stalks laterally fromthe apron and stripjb ollsfrorn saidbranches,

mm',*a bottom plate'having a downwardly bushes while affording 3.. A cotton harvester including a wheeled offset front portion and an upturned front edge in-cut at'both side edges to form recesses, a vertical apron adjacent each recess having an outwardly curved front edge portion spaced from said recess to form guides for stalks located in rows spaced correspondingly to said recesses, and a series of substantially parallel bars fixed to the frame and extending toward each of said aprons having spaced points spaced from said aprons for distributing branchesof the stalks laterally from the aprons and stripping bolls from said branches."

4. A cotton harvester including a Wheeled frame, a bottom platehaving an up-turned front edgein-cut at both side edgesto form recesses, a vertical apron adjacent each recess having an outwardly curved front edge por-' tion spaced from said recess to form guides for stalks located in rows correspondingly to said recesses, and a series of substantially 7 parallel bars fixed to the frame andlextending horizontally toward-eachapron, said bars having points in. a line inclined rearwardly and upwardly from the bottom plate' and spaced from said aprons to formchannels for c said stalks, said fbars acting to distribute stems of said stalks laterally from the aprons and strip bolls from said stems.

In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature" SILAS VBAILOR;

including'a wheeled V 

